Improvement in harvesters



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VALTER A. VOOD, W. ANSON WOOD, AND JOHN M. ROSEBROOKS, OF HOOSIOK FALLS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. l 10,7 l5, dated January 3, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, WALTER A. WOOD, W. ANsoN WOOD, and JOHN M. RosEBRooxs, of Hoosick Falls, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harvesting-Machines; and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the machine complete, and showing in red lines how the cutting apparatus may be folded and held up against the frame for transportation. Fig. 2 represents, in perspective, and detached from the machine, the rocking bar, bywhich the cutting apparatus and its adjacent parts are connected to the mainframe,-

and to which the gag-bar, for raising up the outer end of the cutter and nger-bar, is also attached.

Our invention relates to the particular manner of arranging and operating the gag-bar, so that when the cutting apparatus is raised up it will raise up the outer end of said cutting apparatus.

vOur invention further relates to a device that holds the connecting-rod to the sicklebar, and also prevents the cutters from dropping out when the linger-bar is raised up into a vertical, or nearly so, position for transportation.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings.

The main frame A is fastened at about its center in length to the axle B, and both are supported in the driving-wheels c c', which, through the usual pinions and ratchet-andpawl connections, drive the shaft D, and this shaft in turn, through its bevel-gear E and the bevel-pinion a on the crankshaft F, drives the cutters. Y The tongue-frame G is hinged to the axle B, and carries the seat H for the driver, the tongue I, the raising and loweringlever J and its top b, and the tool-box K.

In a hanger, L, suspended from the grain side of the main frame, and underneath the axle B, is supported the rear end, c, of arolle'rbar, lVI, which bar, from its rear support, extends forward and downward, and its front end terminates in a shoe, N, to which a supporting-wheel, O, is attached.

On the shoe portion or front portion of the rolling or rocking bar lVI is fastened the tinger-bar P, and to the fin ger-bar is fastened the outside shoe Q and the hin ged track-clearer It.

The cutter-bar d and its cutters e vibrate through the fingers or guards f, in the usual well-known way.

In the roller-bar M, and at a point about 'under the front of the main frame, is formed a recess, g, in which are pivoted or secured by a pivot or bolt, 7L, the couplin g-bar S and gagbar T, the pivot or hinge being in the saine plane as that of the rear of the roller-bar in the hanger, so that said bar may be free .to rock or roll in the line of its length, and to the extent necessary for folding up the ngerbar for transportation, as will be hereafter explained. The pivot-bolt h, to prevent its loss should it accidentallydrop out, is fastened to the main frame by a chain, v3.

The main fraineA is suspended at its front to the ton gue-frame (which latter maintains a position horizontally, due to the necks or height of the team) by a chain, J, connected to it and to the arc 7c of the lever J, and can be raised or lowered on the tongue-frame by said lever, and, when necessary, held at any suitable height by allowing the dog b to drop into one of the notches or teeth on the arc 7c.

NVhen the finger-bar is to be folded up againstthe frame, or into a vertical, or nearly so, position for transportation, as shown by the red lines in Fig. 1, the main frame is first raised up and suspended to the tongue-frame, and in so raising it up the gag-bar T comes against the tongue-frame and acts as a lever to aid in raising up the iin ger-ba-r, particularly the outer end of it.

The shoe and heel of the linger-bar being thus raised up by the lever, and fastened up by the dog b, and the outer end of the fingerba-r gagged up by the bar or lever T bearing upon a projection, m, Fig. 2,011 the roller-bar,

the finger-bar may be raised up into a vertical,

or nearly so, position, as shown in red lines in Fig. l, and the spring-catch u will take and hold it in that position.

There is nothing, of course, to prevent the finger-bar from being raised up into its vertical position from the ground; but it could not be carried in that position, as it would strike the ground or other intervening obstacles. It might, however, be thus raised or folded up, and afterward raised above the ground by raising the main frame.

On the shoe portion N there is secured a bent and slotted piece of metal, o, that performs several duties. It admits of the removal and replacement of the cutters on the finger-bar; its slot p allows the pitlnan q to play, but prevents it from becolnin g detached from the cutter-bar; and its bent end fr, when the nger-bar is raised or folded up vertically, or nearly so, prevents the cutters from sliding out or downward.

On the tongue I is fastened a pillow-block, U, to the top of which is pivoted a stirrup, s, that takes in the ton gue, and to the under side of which stirrup is pivoted the double-tree V, and to the double-tree the singletrees W are united in the usual way.

From the stirrup s there extends a chain, t,

which is fastened to the main frame at u, so that the draft is from the main frame in an upward direction, while the guiding is done by the ton gue-frame.

'v is a shipper for throwing the machine into and out of gear when necessary.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we clailn therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the roller-bar for carrying and supporting the finger-bar and cutting apparatus, the coupling-bar S and the gag-bar T, hinged thereto and acting in connection therewith, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the cutting apparatus, the bent and slotted piece o, for admitting of the removal and replacement of the cutters, for holding the pitman to the cutter'bar, and for catching and holding the cutters from dropping down when the finger-bar is raised and folded np, substantially as described.

WALTER A. WOOI). W. ANSON WOOD. J. M. ROSEBROOKS.

NVitnesses:

C. A. CHENEY, A. C. GREY. 

